Packing up for a match.

I have not shot a serious match in some time and while my gear is in the locker I keep it in it has not been gone over recently so I have to pull it out and go over it. I find my sight smoker is in good shape but then realize I am going to shoot a distance match through glass and there isn't a whole lof of need for that.

There are Garand clips in the shooter's stool and those are not needed. The spares and the junk comes out. I check put the ball point pens and they are good to go.

My jacket is OK and so is my sexy leopardskin mat which my niece madefor me several years ago. I get kidded every so often about the mat and asked if I shot a leopard or just stole a bunch of clothes from some stripper somewhere.

I simply tell poeple "Chicks dig it."

It doean't take too long for the basics to be gone over because I put them away in good shape.

Next there are the other things to take care of and I grab the old Kelty backpack that has taken me all over hell and check and see if the Primus stove is OK and there is still fuel in the fuel bottle. I put a couple day's worth of clothes in it and a few other odds and ends including a coffee pot and a few prepackaged meals for shooting days.

There are no scheduled lunch breaks during a match. Lunch is generally catch as catch can. A prepackaged meal is a godsend on the line. This reminds me to pack a couple of cokes.

I also toss a jug into the pack and even though it isn't likely that it will even be opened, it is best to be prepared.

I also add a blanket and a poncho liner to fill it up because one of the phases of the match we shoot off of a rest and the pack will provide an adaquate one.

I've also been invited to crash out at another shooter's house but most likely I will not because I think he already has guests and the last thing he needs is an old man sleeping in a corner farting and snoring.

Still, I am going to an unknown situation and having at least some rudimentry bedding isn't a bad thing in case something comes up. A poncho liner is a good thing to have anyway.

My cart came out and I went over that. It's bigger than most shooter's carts but generally I use it to help out either an elderly or handicapped shooter. At Camp Perry and other places it doubles as a cart to move my stuff into the barracks.

Now that I am a ham I run a quick check on my PRC 320. That's going either for me to set up on the range if I am between firing strings or back at the motel I will likely be staying at.

It's a pretty good way of passing away any time I might wind up with and is a lot better for me than planting my ass on the nearest barstool.

A glance in the bed of the pickup tells me that it is time for me to unload the winter tube sand I keep there as ballast for snowy days. I did that this afternoon and even though I am not leaving for a couple of days I have loaded most of what I need and only have to add a few odds and ends and a rifle and I'm good to go.

I'll pull the rifle out for a good cleaning tonight and it gets put back into the safe until I actually leave.

I've put a lot of work into this project. Working up a load has taken me several hours and several trips to the range just to work up a load. It has already cost me a lot of time, effort and money.

Right now for the next couple of days I am going to be looking around for little things that I might have overlooked.

I'm glad in a way that I have taken a break from serious matches because it feels pretty good starting up and entering another discipline.

It's nice to have something to look forward to in the shooting sports again.


To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html